Suspects sought in multiple shooting in downtown St. Catharines

Police say they are searching for armed suspects after a shooting in downtown St. Catharines, ON sent three people to the hospital, with with two then being air-lifted to an out-of-region trauma center for treatment of critical injuries.

Niagara Regional Police say they are focusing their search on a downtown area of the city west of Toronto, adding that they are dealing with multiple shooting scenes. Detectives are searching for two male suspects, described as:

"Both suspects are considered armed and should not be approached. If located, residents are asked to call 911 immediately," police posted on their website.

Constable Phil Gavin said police were called to the intersection of Church Street and Niagara Street at around 3:45 p.m. and says the nearby intersection of Queenston Street and Geneva Street was also affected. He said officers arrived to find multiple shooting victims who have been taken to hospital.

Police advised residents to stay out of the area and employees of local businesses said they remained inside with doors locked until more information was available. Detectives do not believe this was a random attack.

Related Content

Canada has tighter gun laws than in the United States and suffers much less gun crime. But this summer, that country's largest city Toronto has seen a sharp rise in the number of shootings and gun homicides. Some people are calling it the "summer of the gun."